Session 2015-2016

    在每個單親家庭成長的小孩背後,或有著鮮為人知的辛酸經歷。 家庭對孩子成長影響舉足輕重,奈何現代社會的離婚率不斷上升,令「支離破碎」的家庭越來越多。單親背景是籠罩著不少孩童的陰霾 。 在離婚家庭或父母復合的家庭,孩童比起在核心家庭中長大的同輩相對遇上更多問題,包括在學業上、與同輩相處上、在情緒上。 Demo & Acock (1988)甚至指出受影響的年青人更有可能發展反社會行為 (antisocial behavior)。

 

    Amato(1996)指出父母間的衝突妨礙子女發展人際關係技巧,導致子女婚姻更易悲劇收場。父母離異影響單親子女,尤其是女性對愛情的觀感,令她們傾向對人際關係缺乏信心,並對當中的承諾(commitment)抱有懷疑(Amato & DeBoer, 2001; Whitton, Rhoades, Stanley & Markman,2008)。儘管婚姻不一定是追求幸福的唯一路線,這種對婚姻的恐懼心理或成為她們邁向幸福之路上的一顆絆腳石。

 

    儘管父母重婚,子女的幸福感(well-being)不比一直在單親家庭中成長的子女高 (Coleman, Ganong & Fine, 2000)。再婚為父母及孩子帶來壓力(Henry & Lovelace, 1995)。父母再婚及同居為生活帶來重大的改變,如搬家及學習與新家庭成員相處。這些改變增加子女的壓力,導致學業退步及更多內在化及外在化問題 (internalizing and externalizing behavior problems)(Menaghan, Kowaleski-Jones & Mott, 1997)Zill et al. 指出(1993)內在化問題包括抑鬱(depression),也更易有情緒上的問題(Dawson, 1991)。外在化問題包括使用藥物和酒精、發生性行為,未婚生育產子和被逮捕(Coleman, Ganong & Fine, 2000)。子女需適應新的生活模式,親生父母也需專心打理一個新的家,繼父母的存在增加了子女面對的壓力。故對子女而言,給他們一個所謂「完整的家」不一定是件好事。

 

     這就代表經歷父母離異的子女不能茁壯成長嗎?不然。大部分的單親子女擁有一定的心理抗逆力 (psychological resilience),也更有能力適應新環境及從中得益(Hetherington & Elmore, 2003)。 Rodgers及Rose(2002)指出良好的育兒方法、家庭以外的保護因素(如朋輩、學校)及來自其他成人的支持(如導師、鄰居等)也有助提高心理抗逆力及因應能力 (coping ability)。

 

參考文獻：

Amato, P. (1996). Explaining the intergenerational transmission of divorce. Journal of Marriage and the Family,

      58(3), 628-640.

 

Amato, P., & Deboer, D. (2001). The transmission of marital instability across generations: Relationship skills or

      commitment to marriage? Journal of Marriage and Family, 63(4), 1038-1051.

 

Coleman, M., Ganong, L., & Fine, M. (2000). Reinvestigating remarriage: Another decade of progress. Journal of

     Marriage and Family, 62(4), 1288-1307.

 

Dawson, D. A. (1991). Family structure and children’s health and well-being: Data from the 1988 National

     Health Interview Survey on Child Health. Journal of Marriage and Family, 53, 573-584.

 

Demo, D. H. & Acock, A. C. (1988). The impact of divorce on children. Journal of Marriage and Family, 50,

     619-648.

 

Henry, C. S., & Lovelace, S. G. (1995). Family resources and adolescent family life satisfaction in remarried

     family households. Journal of Family, 16(6), 765-786.

 

Hetherington, E. M., & Elmore, A. M. (2003). Risk and resilience in children coping with their parents’ divorce

     and remarriage. In S. Luthar (Eds.), Resilience and vulnerability: Adaptation in the context of childhood

     adversities (pp. 182-212). Cambridge University Press.

 

Menaghan, E. G., Kowaleski-Jones, L., & Mott, F. L. (1997). The intergenerational costs of parental social

     stressors: Academic and social difficulties in early adolescence for children of young mothers. Journal of

     Health and Social Behavior, 38(1), 38, 72-86.

 

Rodgers, K. B., & Rose, H. A. (2002). Risk and resiliency factors among adolescents who experience marital

     transitions. Journal of Marriage and Family, 64(4), 1024-1037.

 

Whitton, S. W., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2008). Effects of parental divorce on marital

      commitment and confidence. Journal of Family Psychology, 22(5), 789-793.

 

Zill, N., Morrison, D. R., & Cioro, M. J. (1993). Longterm effects of parental divorce on parentchild

    relationships, adjustment, and achievement in young adulthood. Journal of Family Psychology, 7, 91-103.